Save The Best For Last: Branding As A Saviour for Bumiputera-owned SMEs

Abstract

The pandemic named COVID-19 has struck drastically into almost everywhere around the world, leaving great devastating human population. The pandemic caused the domino effect into all nations particularly on their political, economics, socials, technology and laws. Many local economics and industry especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) lost their profits, customers, workers and the business itself. Many unable to sustain their business operations due to lockdown. In Malaysia, Bumiputera-owned SMEs also has no exception towards the pandemic. Majority of Bumiputera-owned SMEs belongs to micro and small as their main objective is to generate more profits for their cash-flows security until they missed out another important intangible asset – the brands. Brands considered an item that belongs to prominent companies. Brands provides an extensive promotion to products and services as it will create more awareness, loyalty and perhaps repeat purchase among customers. Bumiputera-owned SMEs should integrate their brands together with digitalisation, online business, social media and electronic marketing as to make their customers know that the products and services are still available and relevant to them. Bumiputera-owned SMEs need to take every single way of promoting their brands as to save the best for last for their business sustainability.